Maximising the number of induced cycles in a graph

We determine the maximum number of induced cycles that can be contained in a graph on $n\ge n_0$ vertices, and show that there is a unique graph that achieves this maximum. This answers a question of Tuza. We also determine the maximum number of odd or even cycles that can be contained in a graph on $n\ge n_0$ vertices and characterise the extremal graphs. This resolves a conjecture of Chv\'atal and Tuza from 1988.Comment: 36 page

On the inducibility of cycles

In 1975 Pippenger and Golumbic proved that any graph on $n$ vertices admits at most $2e(n/k)^k$ induced $k$-cycles. This bound is larger by a multiplicative factor of $2e$ than the simple lower bound obtained by a blow-up construction. Pippenger and Golumbic conjectured that the latter lower bound is essentially tight. In the present paper we establish a better upper bound of $(128e/81) \cdot (n/k)^k$. This constitutes the first progress towards proving the aforementioned conjecture since it was posed

Maximising HH-Colourings of Graphs

For graphs $G$ and $H$, an $H$-colouring of $G$ is a map $\psi:V(G)\rightarrow V(H)$ such that $ij\in E(G)\Rightarrow\psi(i)\psi(j)\in E(H)$. The number of $H$-colourings of $G$ is denoted by $\hom(G,H)$. We prove the following: for all graphs $H$ and $\delta\geq3$, there is a constant $\kappa(\delta,H)$ such that, if $n\geq\kappa(\delta,H)$, the graph $K_{\delta,n-\delta}$ maximises the number of $H$-colourings among all connected graphs with $n$ vertices and minimum degree $\delta$. This answers a question of Engbers. We also disprove a conjecture of Engbers on the graph $G$ that maximises the number of $H$-colourings when the assumption of the connectivity of $G$ is dropped. Finally, let $H$ be a graph with maximum degree $k$. We show that, if $H$ does not contain the complete looped graph on $k$ vertices or $K_{k,k}$ as a component and $\delta\geq\delta_0(H)$, then the following holds: for $n$ sufficiently large, the graph $K_{\delta,n-\delta}$ maximises the number of $H$-colourings among all graphs on $n$ vertices with minimum degree $\delta$. This partially answers another question of Engbers

Proof of Koml\'os's conjecture on Hamiltonian subsets

Koml\'os conjectured in 1981 that among all graphs with minimum degree at least $d$, the complete graph $K_{d+1}$ minimises the number of Hamiltonian subsets, where a subset of vertices is Hamiltonian if it contains a spanning cycle. We prove this conjecture when $d$ is sufficiently large. In fact we prove a stronger result: for large $d$, any graph $G$ with average degree at least $d$ contains almost twice as many Hamiltonian subsets as $K_{d+1}$, unless $G$ is isomorphic to $K_{d+1}$ or a certain other graph which we specify.Comment: 33 pages, to appear in Proceedings of the London Mathematical Societ

MAXIMISING THE NUMBER OF CONNECTED INDUCED SUBGRAPHS OF UNICYCLIC GRAPHS

Denote by G(n, d, g, k) the set of all connected graphs of order n, having d > 0 cycles, girth g and k pendent vertices. In this paper, we give a partial characterisation of the structure of all maximal graphs in G(n, d, g, k) for the number of connected induced subgraphs. For the special case d = 1, we find a complete characterisation of all maximal unicyclic graphs. We also derive a precise formula for the maximum number of connected induced subgraphs given: (1) order, girth, and number of pendent vertices; (2) order and girth; (3) order